Prophecy
by NicoleMack
Summary: A stranger helps Patty give birth to her second child. Please R


Prophecy By PiperHWyatt@aol.com  
  
"Bye Aggie. Thanks for the baby gifts. I'll see you in a month." Patty called to the waitress behind the counter. She was on her way home form her last shift at the diner. In less than a week, she was going to give birth to her second child, and had been working hard to afford some time off to spend with the baby. Even though her husband was working hard himself, they couldn't afford to live off his salary alone.  
  
She stopped just outside the door, trying to balance her coat and the large basket of baby goodies that Aggie and the staff had given her. She rubbed her back, trying to ease the ache she'd been feeling all morning.  
  
"I think a heat pack is in order when I get home," she said to herself. Just as she started to walk towards the bus stop, a sharp pain shot through her stomach. She dropped everything in her arms to grab hold of her belly. She knew there would be no heat pack now. The baby had decided to arrive early.  
  
Patty was struggling to keep herself standing, waiting for the pain to subside. A young man dashed out from his taxi, seeing her pained expression.  
  
"Here, let me help you into my cab. I'll get you to the hospital," he said, gently taking her arm and slowly walking to the car. Patty barely had time to wonder where he had come from, the street was practically empty. He helped her get comfortable in the backseat, and then ran back to grab her belongings from where they lay on the sidewalk. Placing them on the passenger seat, the young man quickly but carefully began to drive to the nearest hospital.  
  
"Just my luck to go into labour when the nearest hospital is halfway across town."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll make sure you and the baby make it there safely," the young man reassured her. Just as the words left his mouth, he drove up to an intersection where all he could see in front of him were grid locked cars.  
  
"Dammit," he quietly cursed. But he wasn't quiet enough. Patty looked out through the windscreen at the scene before them.  
  
"Oh god no! I can't have this baby in a taxi!" she yelled as another contraction coursed through her.  
  
"Wow, those contractions are really coming fast! I don't think your baby wants to wait, " said the young man.  
  
"But she has to! I want to be in a nice comfortable hospital bed, not the smelly backseat of a CAB!" Yet another contraction had hit her, and the cab driver knew that there was no time for anything. He deftly pulled the car over to the side of the street, putting the emergency indicators on. He then got out and climbed into the backseat with Patty, ready to help her bring her child into the world.  
  
"So how do you know it's a girl?" he asked, trying to keep her calm.  
  
"I don't know, it's just a feeling I have," she replied. He removed the flannel shirt he was wearing, since there was nothing else around to wrap the baby in once it was born. Patty watched him quietly, while she prepared for the next contraction. She started breathing heavily, knowing it was coming.  
  
"What's your name?" she asked in between panting.  
  
"Leo," he replied simply.  
  
"Ok Leo, now that we're acquainted, I think it's time I asked you to help me give birth to this impatient child."  
  
Leo smiled back at her, surprised by her light-hearted view of the situation.  
  
"Ok Patty, listen to me. You and the baby are going to be just fine, but you need to listen to me and do exactly as I say." Patty nodded, almost speechless. Almost.  
  
"How.. how did you know my name?"  
  
"There's no time to explain, your baby is refusing to wait any longer. Now when I tell you to, push as hard as you can." Leo got himself ready, he barely remembered what he'd been taught at med school, but it would have to be enough.  
  
"Ok Patty, as soon as the next contraction starts, push!" he told her. A moment later, her face was contorted with agony and concentration as she pushed as hard as possible.  
  
"That's great, that's great. I can see the top of the head. Just a few more and you'll have your baby." Leo spread his shirt out on the seat between Patty and himself, ready for the baby.  
  
Once again, Patty screamed with agony as she pushed the head out. Sweat was pouring down her forehead, and she was quickly losing her strength.  
  
"Ok Patty, we've got the head, just one more push and that should do it."  
  
"No, I can't, I can't. It's too hard." She was shaking her head, wishing it was over already.  
  
Leo held the baby's head with one hand and reached out to grasp Patty's hand with the other. She suddenly felt like all her energy had been restored, and locked eyes with Leo, silently telling him she was ready. He let her hand go, preparing to support the baby, just as Patty gave her last push. A moment later, the baby's lungs filled with air and began crying.  
  
"It's a girl," Leo said, in awe of the tiny form in his hands. Patty cried tears of joy at the sound of her daughter's voice. Leo carefully wrapped his shirt around her and handed her to her mother.  
  
"Hi sweetie, I'm your Mommy," Patty said, tracing the small features of her face.  
  
"Do you have a name for her?" Leo whispered.  
  
"Piper. Piper Halliwell," Patty replied in the same hushed tone.  
  
Leo watched the mother and daughter silently for a few minutes, and then interrupted Patty's thoughts.  
  
"This baby has a very special destiny. Pay special attention to her, for she will be your middle child. Teach her all the values you hold for yourself. She will follow in your footsteps, finding love, just as you will. Her future holds many challenges, but do not fear. She will overcome them, and come out stronger for it."  
  
Patty stared at the young man, amazed at the words he had spoken. She had no idea how he knew all of this, but she somehow knew that what he said was the truth.  
  
As she was pondering his words, and cradling her daughter closely, Leo took hold of her, orbing quickly to the doors of an emergency room. He hurried inside and quickly told a nurse that Patty had just given birth.  
  
A nurse greeted them, and hurriedly led them into an exam room, where Leo gently placed Patty onto the gurney. The nurse rushed out then to find a doctor.  
  
Leo gently touched Piper's small head, and smiled.  
  
"Know that I will always be watching over her and her sisters." Patty watched in astonishment as he turned in to a sparkling blue light and disappeared.  
  
----------------------  
  
January 16, 2003.  
  
Piper knelt somewhat uncomfortably on the floor of the attic, searching through one of the many trunks of her mother's and grandmother's belongings. She had finally found the one filled with all of their baby clothes. She rubbed her hand over her large stomach.  
  
"Ok baby, I know you're ready to come out. You don't have to keep reminding me," she said, looking down. She continued to sift through all the clothes when she pulled out a large flannel shirt.  
  
"Hey sweetie, are you ready yet?" Leo asked, as he walked in. She looked from the shirt to her husband, completely confused. She had no idea how this had gotten mixed up with a pile of baby clothes.  
  
"Look at this Leo. I have no idea how it got into this trunk." Leo stared at the shirt, suddenly remembering where it came from. He took a seat next to Piper while she looked the item over. She discovered a note hidden in a pocket and pulled it out. Upon opening it, she found it had been written by her mother.  
  
"This was the first thing my baby girl Piper was wrapped in. It came from her angel."  
  
She looked at Leo, shocked. "This was yours, wasn't it?"  
  
He nodded, "I helped your mother give birth to you. I've been protecting you ever since."  
  
"How did she know you were my angel?" She had so many questions, and was so amazed at the turn of events, she had to concentrate on his answers.  
  
"I told her to take special care with you, I knew your destiny. I knew you were my soul mate. I told her that you would find love just like she did with Sam, but she didn't know him yet."  
  
"And you knew then that I was your soul mate?" she asks, awed.  
  
"I knew already that you were going to be one of the Charmed Ones, but I didn't know you were my soul mate until Patty named you. In each of our past lives, your name has always been Piper. That's when I knew."  
  
"This is the most amazing feeling Leo. Knowing I was destined for you from the very second I was born. Being wrapped in your arms before my mother even held me. I love you so much."  
  
"I love you too. Now we need to hurry and get you packed. We're supposed to check in at the hospital in a few hours."  
  
"Ok, I was just looking for my baby blanket. I wanted our baby to be wrapped in it as soon as she's born."  
  
"How do you know it's a girl?"  
  
"I don't know, it's just a feeling I have," she smiled at her husband. She had never revealed to him the full details of the future she had once seen with him. She thought it was only fair, since he had seen all of their past lives, then she could see their future ones.  
  
"Ok, well do you remember what your blanket looks like?" Leo started looking through the truck, tyring to find something that might have resembled a blanket.  
  
"It doesn't matter now, I want to use this," she replied, holding up the flannel shirt.  
  
"I like that idea," Leo replied, helping her to stand.  
  
"Ok, lets go have our baby." Piper said, taking his hand and walking out.  
  
Fin. 


End file.
